Gallery: 13 best power foods for 2013

Gina Smith, Fotolia.com03.18.2012

There's a lot of diet advice out there, a lot of it contradictory. But one thing's for sure: Eating these power foods will give a boost to any health and fitness regimen you're on. Keep clicking to see 13 power foods for 2013.

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/ Fotolia.com

Garlic

It’s stinky but so good for you: Garlic contains anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties that protect against heart disease, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and provide anti-clotting features. As if that’s not enough, it also offers vitamins C and B6, manganese and selenium.

Robert J. Galbraith
/ The Gazette (Montreal)

Bell peppers

Bell peppers should be on every shopping list – they have powerful antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of certain cancers. They’re tasty raw as a snack, and so easy to incorporate in any number or recipes.

Darren Stone
/ Times Colonist

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is not technically a food - but it is a fantastic source of fibre, iron and calcium, and makes our list of top power foods for its ability to help combat high blood pressure and reduce cholesterol in people with Type 2 diabetes.

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/ canada.com

Eggs

The humble egg is one of the most complete food proteins, containing every crucial amino acid. Eggs also contain choline, a brain nutrient that aids memory, and leutin, a pigment needed for healthy eyes.

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/ Fotolia.com

Kale

If you’re seeking to be a better you this year, make sure kale is on your list of power foods. Kale is high in vitamins A, C and K, as well as being a fantastic source of a number of nutrients. Don’t overlook kale at the supermarket just because you find it easier to cook broccoli. Instead, pick it up, go home and Google a few recipes. You’ll get to be a new and improved you a lot faster with kale on your menu. There's more about dark green vegetables in general later in this list, but kale deserves a special mention.

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/ canada.com

Berries

So healthy and so delicious, it’s impossible to exclude berries from any list of power foods. They contain vitamin C, folic acid, fibre, carotenoids and anthocyanins, an antioxidant that helps prevent chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease.

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/ Canwest News Service

Salmon

Salmon is always on the list of power foods, and with good reason – they are one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats and prevent blood clots, thus helping to protect your heart. Plus, salmon is so delicious and easy to cook.

Chris Jackson
/ Getty Images

Sweet potatoes

Say so long to the ordinary potato and turn instead to the less popular but infinitely more healthy sweet potato. Low-calorie sweet potatoes have the recommended daily intake of vitamin A; they’re also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, iron, manganese and copper. Add to that the fact that they contain antioxidants that play a role in preventing heart disease and cancer, and sweet potatoes are a power food you can’t afford to not be eating.

AP Photo/Matthew Mead
/ Canada.com

Dark green vegetables

Ditch the iceberg lettuce and go for dark green veggies like Swiss chard if you can. Dark green vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, iron, magnesium and antioxidants. A variety of dark greens offers a unique blend of phytonutrients that research suggests may fend off age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Justin Sullivan
/ Getty Images

Tomatoes

Tomatoes rate high on any list of power foods because they contain a ton of vitamins A and C, potassium, phytochemicals and lycopene, an antioxidant that can help protect against certain cancers. Even canned tomatoes are good for you; in fact, cooking tomatoes helps to release some of the lycopene so it is better absorbed.

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/ Fotolia.com

Red cabbage

Red cabbage is so versatile and so totally underrated most of the time. Don’t pass it by in the grocery aisle – it’s a great source of fibre, folate, vitamins A, D and K, as well as lots of trace minerals. And it’s low-calorie too boot.

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Sunflower seeds

What a big punch this tiny seed packs. Eat it because it’s a good source of vitamin E, which contains anti-inflammatory properties; because it contains healthy B vitamins; and because it has polyunsaturated oil, manganese, magnesium, selenium and phytosterols, a compound known to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Sunflower seeds are delicious on their own as a snack or as an easy and tasty addition to salads.